Diary of a Crossbeak: Support for Special Needs Chickens and their Keepers

[The Lady]

I'm so very sorry to hear of your losses. I know it is hard when you loose a little friend like that. Thank you all so much for your advice. "Crossy" is holding her own. The suggestion of making the mash was really a help. I was giving her small dime or nickle size pieces of white bread, which she gobbled down - grabbing it away from the others but she was getting too little for that to carry her on. She could eat some dry crumbles but not enough to sustain her so the mash is really working well.. She runs to meet me every time. I'll start adding the vitamins, peanut butter and banana too. I have been making pancake batter with added extra eggs for protein then mixing this with the mash and she love it. My question is: WHY TRIM THEIR BEAKS? is it to keep them out of the way so that they can get their beaks in the feeders? I use a drip nipple for my birds and it's a good thing. Without this, I don't think Crossy would be able to drink from a bowl. I'll look forward for your answers if you please. Thank you in advance, The Lady

 

[cindersga]

I'm so very sorry to hear of your losses. I know it is hard when you loose a little friend like that. Thank you all so much for your advice. "Crossy" is holding her own. The suggestion of making the mash was really a help. I was giving her small dime or nickle size pieces of white bread, which she gobbled down - grabbing it away from the others but she was getting too little for that to carry her on. She could eat some dry crumbles but not enough to sustain her so the mash is really working well.. She runs to meet me every time. I'll start adding the vitamins, peanut butter and banana too. I have been making pancake batter with added extra eggs for protein then mixing this with the mash and she love it. My question is: WHY TRIM THEIR BEAKS? is it to keep them out of the way so that they can get their beaks in the feeders? I use a drip nipple for my birds and it's a good thing. Without this, I don't think Crossy would be able to drink from a bowl. I'll look forward for your answers if you please. Thank you in advance, The Lady

Lady ~ I just trimmed Broke Beaks top beak as it was getting longer and starting to curl. I just took men's nail clippers and cut it. I started small, 1st cut great, 2nd cut great, 3rd cut BLOOD,

I felt so bad. I ran and got flour like they suggested to stop the bleed but he was so interested in his bowl of food that he wouldn't let me stop the blood. I let him eat as it bled, stupid chicken, and then when he was full I put the flour on it and he is fine. He even was filing it himself on the concrete porch while it was bleeding. But, he rounded the corners and all's good. Broke Beak does fine with a regular water container and I even have short glass totems I've made for bird baths in my garden and they love to drink out of those while they free range.

 

[maizy'smom]

Lady ~ I just trimmed Broke Beaks top beak as it was getting longer and starting to curl. I just took men's nail clippers and cut it. I started small, 1st cut great, 2nd cut great, 3rd cut BLOOD,

I felt so bad. I ran and got flour like they suggested to stop the bleed but he was so interested in his bowl of food that he wouldn't let me stop the blood. I let him eat as it bled, stupid chicken, and then when he was full I put the flour on it and he is fine. He even was filing it himself on the concrete porch while it was bleeding. But, he rounded the corners and all's good. Broke Beak does fine with a regular water container and I even have short glass totems I've made for bird baths in my garden and they love to drink out of those while they free range.

Just to share a tip I learned dealing with my cross-beak, Sylvie.....one good thing to keep on hand when you are trimming beaks is Crazy Glue. It is great as a cauterizer. In fact, it was created for soldiers to do "stitches" on the battle field. Just be very careful not to glue top and bottom beaks together!

mm

 

[heathersue]

This is our 27 week old Russian Orloff, Sweetie. Her name says it all. She is a total sweetheart! She doesn't seem to have too much trouble eating. But, I'm not sure how to tell if she's getting enough to eat. She's the only Russian Orloff we have, so I'm not sure how big she is supposed to be at this point. She's similar in size to our Salmon Faverelle and our Marans.

 

[ramirezframing]

My question is: WHY TRIM THEIR BEAKS? is it to keep them out of the way so that they can get their beaks in the feeders? I use a drip nipple for my birds and it's a good thing. Without this, I don't think Crossy would be able to drink from a bowl. I'll look forward for your answers if you please. Thank you in advance, The Lady

I trimmed Peepers with a pedipaw trimmer for dogs, makes it so you don't do to much, you'll see a little red dot of blood if you get to close. But I trimmed his to make it easier for him to eat and drink, as his top would grow over making it so he couldn't get food in. I also used a deep bowl for food and water, which is why his neck feathers were always wet. He had to stick half of his face in the water to get it.

 

[rosebuds]

I have a buff orphton that has a cross beak.she had a hard time picking up food and treats. I trimed upper and bottom beak with a toe nail clipper.I CLIPPED WHERE THE WHITE SHOWS NO BLOOD SO I GUESS I DID IT RIGHT.NOW SHE SEEMS TO BE EATING A LOT BETTER. SHE IS SLOWER TO EAT AND DRINK WATER SO I GIVE HER EXTRA TIME TO EAT IN THE RUN BEFORE I SEND HER OUT TO FREE RANGE.

 

[John Reid]

I have a crossbeak quail antwerp pardin my spelling but i dont know what to do with him. Its hard for him to eat and he's very nice

 

[BullChick]

I don't know how his beak looks, but giving him feeders and waterers that are at least 2 inches deep will help a lot. Wetting the food enough to make an oatmeal consistency (oatmeal works too!) mash will allow him to eat. We all eat our oatmeal different, so if your idea is thin, I am suggesting wet, but not drippy.
Good luck, and keep in touch. Post a picture or two, tell us more about him. We are here for each other!

 

[chickenlover237]

I have a crossbeak quail antwerp pardin my spelling but i dont know what to do with him. Its hard for him to eat and he's very nice

 

[NooNoo]

Hi my Cross beak Australop (? cross?) named Bekkie (not Rebecca but Bek - Afrikaans for mouth) that I got at about 3wks, no sign of problems then, but during the next few weeks we noticed the top beak a little off centre, suddenly became exaggerated during the following weeks & seems to have halted? She is now 25wks and was behind in size compared to her mates, she has managed to catch up and is the same size as a few other hens. I do not clip her beak, I think each case is so different you need to read up as much as possible, watch your chick eat/drink etc try things others have found helpful & see what works for your little one. Bekkie is a real little character, I do not hand feed her as such but I do make sure she gets a little extra attention. When I throw scratch grain out first thing in the morning she will run to my feet & wait for me to kneel down with a deep tub full of grain. She manages to shovel some in while the others are busy. I also do this several times a day but only for a few minutes each time, the rest of the time she eats out of a hopper (layers pellets) & manages ok. drinking she drinks out of the waterer or I also have a deep dog dish near the tap which she likes. Unfortunately she can't get greens in too easily, if any so I put some into her mouth. I read all the posts which gave me loads of hope & encouragement & tried the mash thing...no go she didn't like it ! She loves cooked rice, so I always cook extra & we scoop it into our hands hold them in a cup shape & she pigs out ! I don't know how she will do long term, I can only hope she continues to develop nicely. Very proud mamma Miss Bekkie laid an egg yesterday, a really lovely nice sized egg ! Will post a pic of her later for other to see as reference. I looked at some of the pics & there is such a variety of deformaties from mild to really hectic so I think you have to do what is best for your chick, if culling is the kindest then one has to do it, but try everything first, within reason ! Good luck to all those with special need chicks...we have them for a reason, perhaps to learn patience, gentleness, compassion...lets face it they give us so much joy most of the time !!